Test-tank



F. J. FULLER.

TEST TANK.

APPLICATION EILED 0:13.24. 1919.

Patented Mar. 15, 1921 A Two n N BY 55 p frame members'.11:and 12, apart .of' the UNITED STATES" Parser! OFFICE.

FRANK J. FULLER, or SAN ramvorsco, CALIFORNIA.

TEST-TANK.

Specification of Letters Patent. Paten ted Mar. 15, 1921.

Application filed December 24, 1919. Serial No. 347,154.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, FRANK J. FULLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Test-Tanks,

pactly in order that it may be placed beneath the seat. or in the tool box of an ordinary automobile.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a tank as. above described which will have supporting means or legs and said means being adapted to be also used as a bail or handle for lifting or carrying the same.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a device as above characterized which is rigid lIl'.COIlStIL1Cl l0I1 when in its unfolded position,'durable, and inexpensive to manufacture.

With the above, and other objects, the 111- vention consists-in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective.

F ig.'2 is an end elevation.

Figs. 3 and 4: are enlarged detail views showingfthe detachable and locking joint in the link members between the legs or supportsof the tank. 1 3

-Figs. 5 and16 are enlarged detail views showing the connecting and .locking means between the two members of the main frame.

Referring to the drawings in detall', 10 indicates a bag or container which is preferably made of canvas treated with some water proof compound. A frame rectangular. in shape and constituting the two U- shaped members 11 and 12'is provided, the

' U-shaped' members :being pivotally connected at their free ends'by the rivets or bolts indicated' at' 13.: The upper marginal'edge' 'of the canvas bag 10 is: lapped over and sewed so. that it 'is securely-connected 'tothe two marginal edge of the canvas bagbeing cut away as indicated at 14 to permitthe two members 11' and1'2 to be folded one upon the other as will later appear. In further describing the manner in which the U- shaped frame members 11 and 12 are connected, it is to be observed that the respective free ends thereof overlapone another, and near oneend of each U-shaped member I provide a bolt or pin indicated at 15, and in alinement therewith in the opposing end of the U-shaped' members, I'provide an opening indicated at l6,"Fig. 6. The pin or bolt 15 is firmly'secured within the member in which it is first inserted. When it is desired to fold theone u-shaped member upon the other, it -is only necessary to sprlng outwardly the side'of'the' U-shaped member within which the pin 15. extends and simul taneously' doing the same with the opposite side. Thus, as will be obvious,-themembers will be free to swing upon the pivots 13.

As'shown' by the drawings, the end walls of the tank 10 are sloped inwardly and thus providing a' longer tank at thetop in order to permit the innertube'when' folded to be easily insertedthereim'and also to use a minimum of water to accomplish the purpose desired. In order to hold the tank or its walls in their'stretch'ed or eXpandedpQ- sition, I provide the 'U-shaped" members 17 which are pivotally connected at their free ends to the inner sides of-the U-shaped members 11 and 12 by: rivets or otherwise, as in-' dicated at 18. As is obvious, when these members are swung downwardly and at right angles to the frame members 11 and.

12, thewalls' of the'bag 10 are extended and the container as a whole held in its normal shape or form. V

In order to provide supports or legs for the containeryl provide the two U-shaped members 19 which are pivoted to the outer I sides of the main frame members 11 and 12 by the same rivets or bolts by which the members 17 are pivoted. These supporting members or legs can be dropped down at right angles to the'main frame andthereby support the same. In order to hold the supporting members in spaced relation with one another',,I provide the two link members 2O and 21 which are detachablyj connected and adapted" to be .locked againstlongitu'dinal movement with respect to "ea'ch 'other'when connected. One" end-"of eachof these mem bers 20 and 21 is-ipivotally connected to" the respective cross portions of the legs or'supporting members 19, and preferably so pivoted near the one side thereof as I have illustrated in Fig. 1: When the two link members 20 and 21 are detached, they are free to swing in alinement with the transverse portions of the supporting members 19 and adapted to lie within the sides thereof. For detachably connecting the free ends of members 20 and 21, I provide in one of the members a key hole slot indicated a at 22, Fig. 4, and near the end of theother linkI provide a rivetor bolt indicated at 23, Fig. 3. One headof the rivet 23 ex tends above the link20 in which it is secured. On the link 21, I provide a fiat resilient member 24 having its one end turned upwardly as indicated at 25 and its ner, the legs or supportin members 19. are

held in spaced relation wit one another, and when it is desired to detach the link members 20 and 21, it is only necessary to press the leg members 19 toward each other and i in this manner to bring the head of the rivet 23 into the larger opening of the key hole slot 22, said opening being adapted to permit the head to slide therethrough.

In respectto the operation of my invention above described, assuming that the same is in its unfolded position as indicated in Fig. 1, and it is desired to fold the same, preparatory for placing beneath an automobile seat or other receptacle in the automobile, the first step would be to disconnect the link members 20 and 21 from one another and then draw them into alinement with the transverse portions of thesupporting members 19. After this the supporting members 17 may be brought into alinement with their respective main frame members 11 and 12. Now the frame members may be folded one upon the other, and in this manner a compact formation of the device may be had. Itis also to be noted that the supporting members 19, after being detachably connected by the link members 20 and 21 may be swung above the'frame members 11 and 12 to a position where they may be used as a bail or for lifting the tank or transporting the same.

WhileI have herein described my invention as a test tank for testing inner tubes of pneumatic tires, yet it is to be understood that my invention is applicable to other uses without any great modifications. One particular use which may be here noted is that my invention may be used for carrying water to fill the radiator of an automobile engine when at some isolated spot. The invention isparticularly adapted for this in its construction in'that by tipping the tank in such a manner that the water will flow out of one corner, the stream can be thus made to such a thickness that the water can be easily poured into the radiator.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is i 1. A collapsible container of the class described, a main frame to which the marginal edge of said containerlis secured, U-shaped supporting members pivotally connected at their. free ends to the sides of said main frame, said U-shaped members being adapted to be swung into alinementwith said main frame, detachable means between said U- shaped supporting members to hold said members in spaced relation when in their supporting position, said. means comprising two link members one end of which is pivotally connected 1 to the respective U-shaped supports, and means for detachably coupling their free ends when in extended position.

2. A collapsible container of the class described, a main frame to which the marginal edge of said container is secured, U-shaped supporting members pivotally connected at their free ends to the sides of said main frame, said U-shaped members being adaptmembers when extended in opposite directions, a flexible container with its marginal edge secured to said main frame members, a pair of Ushaped members ivotally connected to the sides'of each mainframe mem her by the same pivoting means, one member ofeachpair being adapted to swing within the main frame members and the walls of the container and theother member of each pair being adapted to swing about the end portions of the main frame members.

4. A collapsible container, com rising a pair of main frame U- haped mem ers ivotally connected at their free ends, aflexible container with its marginal edge secured thereto, a pair of U-shaped members one of which is pivotally connected at its free ends to the sides of the main frame members and adapted to swing about said main frame members and act as a support or bail for said container, means for holding said last mentioned U-shaped members in spaced relation when serving as supports, said means comprising two link members each pivotally connected at its one end to the U-shaped supports and adapted to swing within said supports and connecting means on the free ends of said links.

5. A collapsible container, comprising a pair of main frame U-shaped members pivotally connected at their free ends, a flexible container with its marginal edge secured thereto, a pair of U-shaped members one of which is pivotally connected at its free ends to the sides of the main frame members and adapted to swing about said mam frame tioned U-shaped members in spaced relation i when serving as supports, said means comprising two link members each pivotally connected at its one end to the U-shaped supports, and connecting means on the free ends of said links comprlsing a resilient tongue member secured to one of the links and extending over a key hole slot provided in the link, and a projecting bolt head carried by the other link member.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK J. FULLER. Witnesses W. W. HEALEY, A. M. HEAmY. 

